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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. stock — shares
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. field — for sport
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. stock — goods
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. dip — to sink
  17. press — a publisher
  18. field — a subject
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. press — to push
  21. press — newspapers
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. field — farmland
  24. bay — a horse colour

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com